Two Buckeyes superstars earn a prestigious honor as the 2025-26 athletic calendar officially closes.
The final award for the 2025-26 athletic calendar is naming the Male and Female Athletes of the Year, and this year, for the Buckeyes are two of the all-time best.
On the female side, it starts with an Olympic Gold Medalist, hockey star Joy Dunne. Dunne was a leader for Ohio State as she was a second-team All-American as a forward and defender, leading the Buckeyes to their fifth straight National Championship game.
Dunne tallied the most goals for Ohio State with 27, and in doing so, she became just the second player in the history of the program to lead the team in scoring for three straight seasons. She had a ridiculous +50 on ice rating in 31 games for Ohio State, which was tied for the team lead.
She wasn't done there. She made her Olympic debut in the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympics and helped the USA win its first gold medal since the 2018 Olympics. She eventually made her way onto the first line for the USA and finished the tournament with three goals and two assists.
On the men's side, arguably one of the best football players in the entire country, Calen Downs, was awarded the Men's Athlete of the Year.
In his third season as a Buckeye, Downs was integral for Ohio State's run to the College Football Playoffs. Even though this year was not the result that he or the Buckeyes wanted, it certainly wasn't because of Downs.
Downs was special for the Buckeyes yet again this season. He finished the year, actually, with career lows in nearly every major category. He had 68 tackles, 5.0 tackles for loss, 1.0 sacks, and two interceptions on the year.
However, his impact was hardly felt by stats. He was by far and away the best player on the Buckeyes defense and was literally a coach on the field. His leadership stood out amongst everything, and when Ohio State needed a play to be made, he was there to make it.
Statistically, his numbers are down because of how good the players were in front of him. Five draft picks were playing in front of him, and because of that, he just had to clean up the scraps.
Downs became the 11th pick in the NFL draft thanks to his play, and he was awarded the Ohio State Male Athlete of the Year.
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